title: Learning from number board games: you learn what you encode.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that encoding the numerical-spatial relations in a number board game is a key process in promoting learning from playing such games. Experiment 1 used a microgenetic design to examine the effects on learning of the type of counting procedure that children use. As predicted, having kindergartners count-on from their current number on the board while playing a 0-100 number board game facilitated their encoding of the numerical-spatial relations on the game board and improved their number line estimates, numeral identification, and count-on skill. Playing the same game using the standard count-from-1 procedure led to considerably less learning. Experiment 2 demonstrated that comparable improvement in number line estimation does not occur with practice encoding the numerals 1-100 outside of the context of a number board game. The general importance of aligning learning activities and physical materials with desired mental representations is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology, Boston College.
authors.forename: Elida V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Laski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Siegler
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*